Improvement in sugar-mills



P. FITZGEROL.

Sugar IVIill.

Patented Oct. 24, 1865.

Inventar: 5f

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLEASANT FITZGEROL, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SUGAR-MILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,570, dated October24, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLEASANT FITZGEROL, of Newport, Campbell county,Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Sugar-Mill and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification.

Myinvention relates to the class of machines for extracting the juice ofsorghum and other sugar-cane by the crushing and expressing action of aseries of rollers; and my invention consists, mainly, in a provisionforinsuring a uniformly effective and elastic pressure throughout theentire acting-surface of the several rollers.

My frame A is s o constructed as to enable it to be set either in theposition represented in Figure 1, in which the rollers are horizontal,or in the position represented in Fig. 2, in which the rollers arevertical.

B O D are three cylindrical rollers,of which one roller, B, is thedriver, and gears by spurwheel b to two corresponding wheels, c and d,on the other rollers, causing the rollers C and D to move in an oppositedirection to the rollerB. The driving-roller B is journaled in twosliding boards or steps, E E', whose ends occupy slots F Ii" in theframe. The two driven rollers G D are journaled in two sliding boards orsteps, G Gr', which occupy slots H El' in the frame.

A rail, A', of the frame is screw-threaded to receive a setting-screw,I, which, traversing a screw-threaded spring, J, impinges againstanother spring, K. The springs J and K respectively pressupward anddownward against thus acts to press both'ends of the ent-ire se- I lillll* il ries equally together, or to equally release or slacken them,the compound spring-connection between the set-screw and the rollersaffording a complete compensating medium between all parts of theoperating-surface, so that should more or harder cane be crowded in atone end or between any two rollers that portion is immediately relievedand a correspondin g stress instantaneously distributed to every otherportion of said surfaces. By this simple expedient I secure a perfectexpression of the juice, and no more, whether much or little cane is fedin, and whether the feed be equable or irregular and more in one placeor places than another, and by the same means protect the mill fromdanger of strain or breakage from the effects of rank or unequal feedingor the entrance of foreign matters.

O is a cap, which, when the mill is at work, occupies the positionindicated in Fig. 2, protects the gearing from the entrance of dirt orother obstacles, but which can be shifted to the position represented inFig. 1 when it is desired to inspect, lubricate, or cleanse the gearing.A circular notch, o, somewhat over half a circle, enables the cap tograsp and be retained by the drive-shaft B', around which it is readilyturned.

The above illustration was selected as the preferred form or type of myinvention; but various modifications are obviously possible. Forexample, the springs may be increased or diminished in number and awedge or camheaded lever may replace the screw I.

I claim herein as new' and of myinvention- Adjusting thecrushing-rollers by means ot' a single screw operating on springs insuch a manner that through the medium of the rods and steps they willall be adjusted toward or from each other at the same time,substantially as described.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

P. FITZGEROL. Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, J AMES H. LAYMAN,

in i ir

